Man known as Florida’s own ‘Tinder Swindler’ pleads guilty to 25 counts of fraud

Brian Wedgeworth, 46, enters guilty plea in Casanova scam

JACKSONVILLE, Fla – A man who’s being called Florida’s own Tinder Swindler on Thursday pleaded guilty to 25 counts of fraud.

On 14 of the counts, Brian Wedgeworth, 46, could get up to 20 years in prison each.

The plea agreement lists a total of 40 women who lost more than $1 million. Wedgeworth has to make restitution.

Sentencing is Aug 8. in Tallahassee federal court.

Prosecutors believe Wedgeworth scammed dozens women, including a woman from Jacksonville, out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Wedgeworth had 13 different aliases, according to court documents, where prosecutors say he told women he was a doctor and was looking for a wife. Instead, investigators believe he was only looking for their money.

A sea of documents reveals how the so-called Florida Casanova scammer operated.

Detectives say Wedgeworth used popular dating apps like Plenty of Fish, Match and LinkedIn to form relationships with the women.

He was indicted by a grand jury in October and arrested in Nashville shortly after.


About the Author:

Corley Peel is a Texas native and Texas Tech graduate who covered big stories in Joplin, Missouri, Tulsa, Oklahoma and Jacksonville, Florida before returning to the Lone Star State. When not reporting, Corley enjoys hot yoga, Tech Football, and finding the best tacos in town.